On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) is a term referring to a vehicle's self-diagnostic system that is capable of warning that a driver should undertake vehicle inspection by blinking a Malfunction Indication Lamp (MIL) whenever a problem is detected.
The OBD is categorized into two categories: OBD I and OBD II. The OBD I takes charge of diagnosis for detecting breakage/short-circuit of various sensors connected to an Engine Control Module (ECM), and the OBD II takes charge of diagnosis for rationality and performance of sensors, with the exception of breakage/short-circuit, and normal system operation.
Typically, the OBD is mounted on a dashboard of a vehicle. The OBD may also be mounted at a lower part of one side of the vehicle near the driver.
The OBD mounted to a vehicle is useful because it diagnoses the vehicle and provides a car repair shop or a car insurance company with the result of the diagnosis. Also, the driver may correct a bad driving habit and ensure driving safety based on the feedback information about the driver's driving habits collected and analyzed by the OBD.
The OBD may acquire vehicle status information from the ECM of the vehicle. For example, the OBD may monitor the vehicle to acquire the information on the vehicle by means of a plurality of sensors mounted to the vehicle. In this case, the OBD may acquire the vehicle status information (such as gasoline mileage, revolutions per minute (RPM), and velocity of the vehicle) from the ECM.